Has it ever happened with you that instead of having a strong core, your neck hurts more at the end of your ab workout? Well if it did then we are on the same page. Many traditional ab exercises such as crunches and Russian twists put excessive pressure on the neck – especially when the execution of the exercise is not good.
However, with this workout, you no longer have to worry about getting a strained neck. This program consists of seven Pilates-inspired exercises performed slowly that work only with your body weight. During these seven exercises, your main goal will be to keep the neck in a comfortable position and to enable your head, neck, and spine to go through the full range of motion in a controlled manner. The basic idea of the workout is to not add any tension or pressure to the neck, and yet, to address the main core issue.
Why You Need To Stay Away From Neck Strain While Doing Ab Workouts
A sore neck during ab workouts is a usual case of a weak core or poor form problem. If you pull or round too much then your neck and shoulders will work more than your abs. And more overload can hurt them and make their condition even worse. Over a longer period of time, these bad habits may even turn into strain or injury.
In a neck-friendly profile, it is your abdomen that will do most of the work. No movement included is anything but supportive towards your recovery process, as each is about maintaining a good posture and being gentle to your muscles. It should not be forgotten that this safe sequence of exercises can come in handy for the prevention of injuries, even long after birth, or if one decides that he or she would prefer the less strenuous ab training method.
What You Will Need
- Get a yoga mat or a workout one
- No need for the 2nd one but if you have a small cushion or a towel, it would benefit you
- Arrange 15 minutes in your calendar when you will be focused
The execution of the exercises has a defined time frame of 45 seconds and after every exercise, there is a 15-second break. The types of workouts you can do here are the following: you may finish the full 7-move circuit in one run or for a longer session, you can even decide to repeat the training twice.
The 7-Move Neck-Friendly Ab Workout
1. Dead Bug Lie on your back with your arms extended overhead and your legs in tabletop. Gently put the right arm and the left leg down until they are just above the floor. Come back up and then change the sides. Concentrate on having your lower back flat on the floor.
2. Double Reach To start, go back to the tabletop position. Stretch your arms and legs forward so they are up in the air but just off the ground. Hold for a moment, and then go back to the initial point. This exercise focuses on the entire midsection and lessens the involvement of the neck muscles.
3. Single Leg Lift Besides your hips, and with your hands resting on the floor, lift one leg straight up as you keep the other just above the ground. Move from side to side slowly and controlled. Make sure your upper body is touching the mat with your head down.
4. Reverse Crunch Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground, and push the lower part of your back onto the mat. Engage your core as you raise your hips and legs off the floor, hold for a second, and lower them. No need to raise through your shoulders or neck.
5. Side Tilt to Leg Extension Firstly, flex your knees and put them in the tabletop position. Turn both knees to the side slowly without moving your lower back, then straighten your legs long. Do a quick in and out with your legs and rotate to the other side. Not only does this exercise engage the obliques, but it makes the upper body get a rest as well.
6. Single-Leg Stretch (Low Impact) Place your legs in tabletop position, then alternatively extend one leg at a time as if you are riding a bicycle. Both of your arms remain still, one of each placed gently to the side or above your head. Keep a neutral spine, and relax your neck.
7. Straight-Leg Scissor Switch Raise one leg to the ceiling while keeping the other one aside. Switch your legs one by one, and do it in a slow and controlled manner just like scissors on the floor. In this way, you will focus only on the lower part of your abs while your head and shoulders will be left in the same position as at the beginning.
Benefits of Neck-Friendly Core Training
Not only can this ab workout for your neck be of double benefit, it will give you more than can be imagined. When done faithfully, this ab workout can:
- Establish core stability without exerting too much force
- Enhance the posture as well as the spinal arrangement
- Decrease lower back pain risk
- Improve the way you move and elongate the muscles
It is particularly effective in post-injury healing or as a beginner workout, which is still a big challenge for the abdominal muscles without using a large number of movements or equipment.
You do not have to strain your neck to train your core. With these seven Pilates-style exercises, you will be able to concentrate solely on your tight, controlled movements to activate your abs while keeping your head and neck comfortable.
Include this workout in your weekly schedule 2–3 times a week, and do light cardio or walk alongside to come up with a well-rounded whole-body plan that will enable you to keep fit. Of course, move at your own speed and be guided by your body.
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Looking forward to more gentle core exercises or no-impact practice? We still have more on our list — we keep adding new ideas every week to keep your training harmonized and successful.
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